We’d like to introduce you to Domotron, an anonymous MBA applicant from the UK who plans to attend a top b-school in the US. You can read more about Domotron’s MBA journey on his blog, Domotron. Thank you Domotron for sharing your experience with us, and best of luck to you!
Accepted: Can you tell us a little about yourself: Where are you from? Where and what did you study as an undergrad? What is your favorite book (fiction or non-fiction)?
Domotron: I was born in Hong Kong but moved to the London aged 10, where I have lived since. I studied mathematics at a Top 10 University in the UK (non-Oxbridge). My favourite book is Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. Even though it is long (900+ pages), it is a real page turner! I also enjoy books by George R. R. Martin and Michael Connelly.
Accepted: What stage of the MBA application process are you up to? What has been the most challenging aspect of the admissions process so far?
Domotron: Currently, I am drafting my essays and reaching out to recommenders. I am quite lucky in that I realised I wanted an MBA late in 2012. This gave me plenty of time for each component of the process. I took my GMAT in May and I have been researching and shortlisting my schools since then.
I think each portion of the admissions process brings its own challenges. While I was studying for the GMAT, the difficulty was juggling studying with working. After that, there was the difficulty of trying to get to know the schools. I am relatively lucky in that most US schools come to London at least once a year to present and run info sessions. However, even with these sessions it can be tough trying to get the unsanitised version of what studying at a certain school is really like.
As for the stage I am currently, my biggest challenge will be selecting the right recommenders and working with them so that they understand the process. It is not a typical career move in my industry to study for an MBA, so I need to sell my story to the recommenders and make sure they understand my motivations.
Accepted: Where do you plan on applying to b-school? Are you applying to safety schools?
Domotron: I have pretty much finalised my shortlist. The schools are HBS, Wharton, Booth, Kellogg, Tuck, Fuqua and LBS. As you can see from that list, I am not applying to any safety schools. The main reason being that my first option would be to return to London post-MBA. Therefore I am only applying to schools that had good networks in UK/Europe.
Accepted: How did you decide whether you wanted to study in London or abroad? How important is the global or international factor to your business studies?
Domotron: As mentioned above, I plan on returning to the UK in the short term. That said, I would keep an open mind and be willing to look into any opportunities that may arise while studying for my MBA.
During my shortlisting process, I looked at a variety of schools including European ones. I realised pretty early on that I wanted to pursue a two-year MBA. This basically eliminated the vast majority of European schools. Secondly, when comparing the European schools to the US schools, I found it pretty evident that the US ones have significantly more resources available to them that the European ones. Therefore I narrowed my choices down to US schools that had significant alumni networks in the UK and in Europe.
Accepted: What have you been doing since getting your B.A.?
Domotron: Since graduation, I have worked as an insurance underwriter at an international insurer. My main focus is large financial institutions, asset managers and offshore entities.
Accepted: Do you plan on staying in the same career post-MBA or moving to a new industry/function?
Domotron: Short term, I am aiming to switch into consulting. Long term I would like to return to insurance, preferably in a strategic role with an international focus.
Accepted: Why did you decide to blog about your MBA experience? What have you gained from the experience so far and how do you hope others will benefit from your blogging?
Domotron: I started blogging after speaking with a fellow blogger, hamm0, and reading other extremely useful blogs from Cheeterah and mbaover30. As for my reasons for blogging about my MBA more than anything, I have found it to be a great way of connecting with other MBA applicants.
Also, it serves as a bit of a release. Rather than talking incessantly to my friends and family about my thoughts and musings on the application process, I can blog about them instead.
Finally, I very rarely get to write much more than emails and short notes, so the blog serves as a great way of getting used to writing longer coherent blocks of text again! I am not sure how useful my readers find my musings, but at least it should help reassure them that we are all in the same boat facing the same mini-crises during the application process.
Do you want to be featured in Accepted.com's blog, Accepted Admissions Blog? If you want to share your MBA/EMBA journey with the world (or at least with our readers), email us at mbabloggers@accepted.com.
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This article originally appeared on the Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog, the official blog of Accepted.com.
